@article {1906,
	title = {Red cell-sensitizing antigen of group A streptococci. I. Biological and chemical properties},
	journal = {Israel Journal of Medical Sciences},
	volume = {8},
	number = {11},
	year = {1972},
	pages = {1799-1806},
	abstract = {The cell-sensitizing factor (SF) of group A streptococci is a teichoic acid which
can sensitize mammalian cells to agglutination and lysis in the presence of anti {\textperiodcentered}SF
antibodies and complement. SF is highly immunogenic in the rabbit when bound
naturally to some constituent of the streptococcus cell, but only feebly so when
it is extracted from the cells by phenol. Both rabbit and human antibodies to SF,
which are mainly associated with the macroglobulin fraction (IgM) of serum,
are destroyed by treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol. While human anti-SF
antibodies are readily destroyed by freezing and thawing and by heating to 58 C,
the rabbit anti-SF antibodies are not destroyed at 64 C and are relatively resistant
to repeated freezing and thawing. Complexes formed between SF and rabbit
antibodies fix complement both in the absence and presence of red blood cells
(RBC). Anti-SF antibodies interact with SF and prevent the latter from sensitizing
RBC. Rabbits immunized with heat-killed streptococci and which developed
anti-SF antibodies, developed severe arthritis when SF was injected into their
knee joints. The arthritic lesions were characterized by a marked proliferation
of the synovial membrane, a chronic inflammatory exudate and the accumulation
of large numbers of lymphocytes in the form of "pseudolymphatic follicles."
Nonimmunized animals failed to develop such lesions. It is suggested that sensitization
of cells with SF during streptococcal infection may lead to passive immune
cytolysis and may thus contribute to the pathogenicity of streptococci.},
	author = {N. Ne{\textquoteright}eman and Isaac Ginsburg}
}
